BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 67, 24 April 1945, Page 5

BOROUGH WATER SUPPLY

FACING THE INEVITABLE

COSTLY SCHEME UNDER SURVEY

Necessary schemes for improving the town's water which must inevitably entail the raising of loans approximating £28,000 were mentioned by His Worship the Mayor (Mr B. S. Barry) at last week's meeting of the Borough Council. The prospect of a particularly heavy rate in the future would not be welcomed 1 either by the Council or by the ratepayers, but Mr Barry said that the undertaking appeared inevitable and would have to be faced. For years- past the problem of even maintaining the existing supply has been a serious one, and the Council is the first to agree that this has been far from satisfactory. In, the words of the Mayor, though the City Fathers had sat late and endured several headaches in the process they could not find a solution which would avoid a heavy expense. Tlie scheme put forward by the Borough Foreman (Mr W. Henderson) some months ago, has been, now fully investigated. It included the damming of Wainui-te-Wliara stream (commonly known as the Maraetotara) was estimated to cost while additional storage and adjustments to the existing plant was estimated to cost £17,000. A modified scheme to embrace the two was expected to cost £32,000. Added to< this the position on Hillcrest was also becoming acute so much so that it was thought imperative to grant no further connections for new homes. To overcome this position a further £3000 was necessary. Again the work of relaying and concreting the mains which was overdue was anticipated to cost £8000. ' The very cheapest we can expect these things to be done is £28,000, said Mr Barry, and that will mean something over a fourpenny rate. We went on to say that faced this year with a total rate of l/B%d it would not be far to reach another half-crown in the pound rate oi which the town had bitter memories. He invited suggestions from the councillors, and added that even if they were agreed upon any one scheme, he doubted whether the ratepayers would be prepared to face up to the rate which would' have to be imposed. The only alternative he could suggest was the construction of an auxiliary reservoir to hold 200,000 gallons to assist the present supply and to endeavour to carfy on with the present pumping plant. Cr Sullivan agreed that the position was most serious and should be giveni the fullest consideration. On his motion, it was agreed to call a special meeting of the Council following the next Works Committee meeting to discuss its recommendations fully.